MONDAY MORNING MUSINGS: Xavier on top

Jim Bransfield, Sports Correspondent

Published 12:00 am, Monday, December 13, 2010

Xavier ought to be, should be, likely will be, voted No. 1 in the polls that will be published shortly. But boys and girls, there's not much difference between the Falcons and Masuk of Monroe. I can understand why there are those who think the Panthers are the state's best team. They point to Gatorade Player of the Year, quarterback Casey Cochran and he is, indeed, terrific. I saw him Saturday and yeah, he can play for me.

They point to blowout win after blowout win and they have a point. They point to Masuk's 50-20 win over New Canaan in the Class L title game, a game which was 23-20 at the half and one in which Masuk dominated 27-0 in the second. All valid points.

But I think there are several things that tilt the vote towards Xavier.

First, strength of schedule. Hey, you play the games on the schedule. Masuk did that. But Xavier's schedule was very challenging. In West Haven (twice), Notre Dame of West Haven, Middletown, Shelton, Hillhouse, Glastonbury and Trumbull, the Falcons played teams with winning records. Good teams every one. And one of the .500 teams was Cheshire, arguably the best .500 team in the state. Significant I think is to point out that only the Shelton and West Haven games were played on Xavier's home field.

Second, the last five games were tougher than any season-ending five games any team in the state played. At crunch time, the Falcons got no passes. West Haven, Middletown, West Haven, Glastonbury, Trumbull. Typically teams have two, maybe three big games all season. But when you have to strap it on every week, when you get banged ever week, and at season's end, when you go week after week playing one good team after another, that is a kind of test by fire.

Third, the Xavier defense. I think that's what separates Xavier from everyone else. Masuk was glamorous, Xavier was lunch-pail. Not that the Falcons didn't have glamour. The quarterbacking duo of Pat D'Amato and Tim Boyle can light it up. Ask Middletown. Ask West Haven. Ask Trumbull. But that defense is, hands down, the best in the state. There's the old line, offense wins games, defense wins championships. That is the one tangible that Xavier has that edges Masuk. Masuk never faced a defense like Xavier's.

Heck, New Canaan had 280 yards offense in the first half against Masuk Saturday. That never would happen against Xavier. Take that to the bank; you'll get a good interest rate.

Lastly, if you go into the playoffs ranked No. 1 as Xavier did and you win it all, there is no fair way one can justify taking it away. And on the biggest stage against Trumbull, Xavier had 500 yards offense and played brilliantly. Yeah it's close. Masuk is terrific. But the Falcons get the nod. By a nose.

OTHER TITLE GAMES

I enjoyed my day at The Rent. I saw Hillhouse beat New London in typical Hillhouse fashion. Low-scoring, hard-hitting defense, intelligent play-calling and a kind of spirit that's hard to quantify. Yeah, it was just 7-0, but the emphasis is on the nothing. New London can put points on the board and if a kid didn't drop a sure-TD pass, the Whalers would have. But would haves, should haves, could haves don't count.

The Academics, bolstered by the rigors of the Southern Connecticut Conference, the best football league in the state with two state titles, won yet another football title. What's this nonsense about inner-city schools not being able to compete in football? Please.

St. Joe, out of the FCIAC, showed Ansonia -- like Xavier and Hillhouse did -- the advantages that come from playing a tough schedule. Ansonia was very good. But the Cadets played a tougher schedule and while Montrell Dobbs, the brilliant Ansonia running back, got 300+ yards rushing -- Again! -- his mates couldn 't stop St. Joseph in the S title game.

By the way, I still think the Catholic schools should all play one class up. There is a built in advantage those schools have because there are no geographical limits. Put St. Joe in M and so forth. Makes all kinds of sense and levels the playing field a bit, methinks.

THE RENT

The press box at Rentschler Field is bigtime. Just like any bigtime football venue in place in America, it has everything a press box should have. Yeah, I loved it and truly enjoyed the free food. But the field was in lousy shape. After a season of UConn and Hartford Colonials games chopping it up, grass was a scarce commodity. There was so much sand on the field, there were clouds of it kicked up again and again. Literally, players bit the dust.

Had there been rain like Sunday, the place would have been unplayable. The CIAC took a gamble putting four games on a grass field in 24 hours and got away with it. Might not be so lucky next December.

The crowds, by the way, were disappointing. Except for the 5,000 who showed up for the Xavier vs. Trumbull LL match -- 4,000 were Xavier fans -- crowds of 1,000, 2,000 and 1,500 for the next three had to disappoint the CIAC. Heck, those kinds of crowds get lost in a 40,000 seat stadium. But the kids all seemed to love playing at the Rent and that's who the games are for, the kids.

Last thing. Ten bucks to see a game is a bit much. I know one could stay for all three on Saturday, but truth is, most folks come to see one game. Family of four, $40? Too much money.

MHS FALL AWARDS

Middletown High handed out awards for its fall sports at its Awards Dinner last week.

In volleyball, Sportsmanship, Christina Harvey and Consistent, Miriam Charry. In girls swimming, Sportsmanship Katherine Roy, the Robert Parmelee Most Outstanding Performer went to Brittany Cotharin and the Ron Seria Most Improved Award went to Megan Shapard. In cheerleading, Sportsmanship, DeAsia Lawrence and Consistent, Karen McLeod and in Unified Sports, Sportsmanship to Kevin Moy and Consistent, Ethan Jackowitz.

Football coch Sal Morello did not hand out individual awards, saying he was philosophically agianst giving out individual achievement awards.

BANDS??

The Xavier band was the best band in the title games. Not close. Hillhouse brought its band as did New London. But there were no other bands. That makes me appreciate how great the Middletown High band is and how much it adds to the atmosphere of a high school game. The 200+ MHS Blue Dragons marching band is simply the best and at a game, when the band is playing and crowd is involved, it's the best atmosphere of any high school venue I've been in all season.

MHS band director Marco Gaylord told me that during the Xavier game, one woman fan came to him and asked the band to not play so much. Uhhh, what's it supposed to do? Silly. The more it plays, the better.

NO NOISEMAKERS?

The CIAC has a rule that there shall be no noisemakers at its games. The Masuk fans brought those idiotic thundersticks, an annoyance made famous by the Los Angeles Angels fans in the World Series some years ago. So much for enforcing that rule. The CIAC ouight to get of the rule for football anyway; it's a football game, not a golf match. There's supposed to be noise. Let it be.

NEW COACH

Sean Cole is the new hockey coach for the Rocky Hill/Middletown High/RHAM cooperative hockey team. Dave Reynolds, a teacher at MHS, is the goalie coach.

WINTER SPORTS HIT STRIDE

This Wednesday is the opening day for the winter sports season. The girls basketball season, as most know, opened last week. H-K, Cromwell and Mercy all won on Saturday in girls hoop and on Friday, MHS evened its record at 1-1.

Boys basketball, swimming, hockey, wrestling and indoor track all get going this week. Two headline local boys basketball games are Wednesday at home. Xavier hosts North Haven and Middletown hosts E.O. Smith. Local fans might not know much about E.O. Smith, so let me tell you this: in recent seasons they have been good -- as in real good.

Also, North Haven is the defending SCC champion.

All the other area teams get going this week, too. Hey, greatest thing about winter sports is when they are over, it's baseball season. Red Sox fans can't wait. Now can this Yankee fan find Cliff Lee in his Christmas stocking? Please, Santa?